Supporting

the workforce of Indiana’s CHWs as part of the health care delivery system.

Personal Qualities of a Community Health Worker

Although there is not yet a formal, national consensus regarding qualities that a CHW should embody,
INCHWA strongly recommends using the following qualities to guide the selection of exemplary candidates
when recruiting CHWs for positions in both health and social service settings.

Personal Qualities Definition

A community member OR having a close understanding of the community
Connected to the
they serve with shared life experiences and strong desire to help the
community
community
The ability to listen and respond to clients and communities with
Interpersonal warmth
compassion and kindness.
Trustworthiness and Being honest, allowing others to confide in you, maintaining
mature confidentiality, and upholding professional ethics.
The willingness to embrace others’ difference, including their flaws and be
Open -mindedness
non-judgmental in your interactions with them.
Striving to work with and view clients and their circumstances without
Objectivity
the influence of personal prejudice or bias.
To be aware of and truly respect the experience, culture, feelings and
Sensitivity
opinions of others.
Developing the knowledge and skills required to provide quality services
Competence
to all the clients and communities being served
The commitment and heart to fight injustice and to advocate for social
Commitment to social
changes that promote the health and well-being of the clients and
justice
communities.
Having the mental and emotional capacity to perform your work
Good psychological health
professionally without doing harm to clients, colleagues, or yourself.
Being willing and able to reflect upon and analyze your own experience,
Self-awareness and
biases and prejudices, to ensure that they do not negatively affect your
understanding
interactions with clients and colleagues.

For Policymakers:

When developing statewide policy around CHWs, it is imperative to validate the importance of the CHW
Qualities particularly connectedness to community. Policy should be crafted so that barriers for traditional
CHWs, community-based individuals who share a connection to the community they serve, are minimized.
While it may be challenging to include these qualities in policy, it should always be clear that positions
which are not defined in terms of these qualities should not be considered CHW positions.

520 N. Madison Ave. Ste F, Greenwood IN. 46142 (317) 721-1181



Supporting the workforce of Indiana’s CHWs as part of the health care delivery system.



Sources:

Tim Berthold, Foundations for Community Health Workers, Second Edition, Wiley Publishing 2016

E. Lee Rosenthal, PhD, MS, MPH; and Carl H. Rush, MRP, (April 2016) Understanding Scope and
Competencies A Contemporary Look at the United States Community Health Worker Field Progress Report of
the Community Health Worker (CHW) Core Consensus (C3) Project: Building National consensus on CHW
core roles, skills, and qualities. Retrieved from http://www.chrllc.net/id12.html

520 N. Madison Ave. Ste F, Greenwood IN. 46142 (317) 721-1181